Overseas
by SomewhereOnlyWeKnow9
Summary: Greg Sanders was drafted into the military three years ago, leaving behind Sara Sidle. For the last three years, she's been raising the twins he doesn't know about alone, presuming him dead. But one word will turn all of it upside down. I'm terrible at summaries, but read anyways!
1. Annoyed

"Caleb Watson Sidle! Get your butt out here! You too, Taylor April Sidle! And Nicholas Stokes, you better too!" Caleb creeps out from behind the sofa, Taylor from under the table, and Nick steps out from behind the door.

"We're in trouble, Nicky. Momma used full name. She's angry." Taylor informs him, and Caleb nods.

"And why do you think your in trouble?" I say, arms crossed. I raises my eyebrows at all of them.

"Cause we scare Hodges. But Taylor tell me too!" Caleb informs me. Of course. Taylor was almost as bossy as me. I turn to face the three year old.

"And why is that, Ms. Taylor?"

"Cause he annoying. He no life and no friends." Nick gives her a high-five.

"And you, Stokes! What are you trying to teach my three year olds?" He looks down at the floor sheepishly. "Caleb, don't do everything your sister tells you to. Taylor, you may only annoy Hodges when I give you permission. Stokes, I am the only one who allows my children to annoy Hodges. Do I make myself clear?"

"But…"

"But what, Taylor?"

"Nicky says daddy annoy Hodges." I feel like I've been punched in the stomach. A rush of tears come in to my eyes. I run out of the room, heading into the bathroom. I brace myself against the sink, letting the tears fall down my cheeks. He did annoy Hodges. He was one of the banes of Hodges existence. It used to make me laugh, the things he would do just to aggravate the lab rat. I quickly wipe my eyes, but more tears replace the ones I've just gotten rid of. It's been three years, but it still feels like yesterday. The day Greg Sanders was shipped off to the military. I remember it all like it was yesterday. We had gone out for dinner, his last dinner in Vegas. I had told him that I loved him. He had grinned and kissed me. The next morning, I woke up in his arms. That was the day he had left. And the last contact I have had with him in three years. We all know he died. He must have. I wish he hadn't. I wish he could meet his son and daughter. I wish it was him in the delivery room with me, not Catherine. I wish he would walk Taylor down the aisle, give Caleb advice on girls. I let more tears fall down my face and into the sink. Oh, Greg. I miss you so much I can't stand it. Taking a deep breath, I wipe my eyes and walk back out of the bathroom, once again ready to face reality.


	2. Wildebeests

"Sara, are you okay?" Nick greets me the at the bathroom door.

"Besides the mini-break down I just had? Yeah, I'm fantastic." I lean against the wall besides him, sinking down until I sit on the floor. Nick does the same, and I rest my head on his shoulder.

"I shouldn't have brought him up to them."

"It'a not your fault, Nicky. They deserve to know there father. I just can't talk about him without breaking down. I miss him so much." My voice cracks, and Nick puts his arm around me.

"We all do, Sara." I nod into his shoulder.

"Sometimes, when I really miss him, I can't look into the twins eyes. They look too much like his. Excatly the same. Caleb is so much like him I have to resist the urge to call him…"

"I know, Sara. It happens to all of us. The other day, Warrick almost did call him…that."

"We can't even say his name out loud, Nicky. That's why I didn't name Caleb that. If I had, every time I called his name, I would except him to run out, you know?" He pulls me closer as more tears fall down my cheeks.

"Sometimes, I'll walk into the break room and except him to be there, brewing his Blue Hawaiin and humming to himself. Then I have to remind myself he's gone." The sadness in his voice mirrors my own, and a lose tear falls out of his eye.

"I know I'm supposed to move on. But how can I?" He pulls me closer to him, our two sorrows merging into one. We ignore the strange glances we get from people passing through the hallway. Hodges waddles in and stops in front of us, the twins holding on to his legs. Nick and I exchange one glance and crack up.

"Please learn to keep your wildebeests under control."

"Hodges no friends!" Caleb exclaims, and Hodges flushes red and scowls.

"That's right, baby." I say, prying him off Hodges leg. Nick gets Taylor off the other one. I sit him on my lap, and Taylor sits on Nick's. Hodges walks away, scowling.

"Good one, guys." I lean my head on Nick's shoulder.

"Mommy?" Taylor asks me.

"Yes, baby?"

"What daddy like?" A rush of tears fill my eyes, but I ignore them as I ponder the question. How do you describe the love of your life to your two children who will never meet him?

"He was very handsome. He looked exactly like you, Caleb. He had the exact same hair. And your eyes, Taylor."

"He was brave." Nick says. "He was once in an explosion. Nearly died. Never cried once."

"And like Nicky already told you, he was the funniest man I've ever met. He made me laugh harder than I thought humanly possible. He was just a big kid. He would have loved you two. I know that he would give anything to be back here with us." Taylor and Caleb look up at me, and Caleb brushes away one of my tears. I smile and kiss his head.

"Where he?"

"Heaven, baby. He died so we could have our freedom. He died for all of us. But that was…that was Greg for you. He didn't know how to be selfish." I smile at the thought of him. I haven't spoken his name out loud in what feels like forever. Even now, saying it fills me with love and longing.

"Sara, there's someone waiting for you in PD." I groan.

"Can it wait, Judy? I'm kinda in the middle of a breakdown here." She smiles at me, like she knows something I don't.

"Sara, I think your going to want to see him." I sigh and pick up Caleb.

"Here," Nick says, handing me Taylor. "Take a kid." I grin and put Taylor on my hip, Caleb on my other.

"Be back soon." I say, walking following Judy to the PD.

"Hi, Taylor! Hi, Caleb!" She says, and they wave at her.

"Is this important? Because I'm kind of busy trying to prevent my children from killing Hodges." Her grin becomes bigger as a man walks up to the front desk. He's about 6'0, with hair cut military style, which matches his military uniform. He's tan and very well built, the only visible imperfection on his body a scar running down his face.

"Sara." I blink and meet the man's eyes. Hazel. It can't be…

"Greg?


	3. Eyes

I feel dizzy, and in fear of falling and hurting the twins, I put them down.

"Hey, guys, can you go annoy Hodges for me?" They grin evilly.

"Bye-bye!" They say, dashing off. They have no clue they just met their father, do they? I begin to feel unstable, and sit down, blinking a few times.

"Hi, Sara." He says, a small smile on his tan face. He looks so…different. It isn't the scar that stretches from his scalp into his uniform, it isn't the tan, it isn't the muscles. It's his eyes. The warm, playful glimmer has disappeared. His eyes remind me of my brothers after we watched our mother murder our father. Like they've seen too much, like they've grown wise in the span of a few short minutes. Or in this case, three years.

"Your not dead." I whisper, voice trembling.

"Really?" He says, sarcasm evident in his voice. "You sure?" But it's different than the way Greg three years ago would joke. Just by the sound of his voice, I know how much he's been through. A part of me wants to reach out and sob into his uniform. A bigger part of me wants to stay protected, stay on guard. I take a deep breath and steady my voice.

"So why are you here?" I tell myself to stay calm and collected, stay cool. But wow, it's really not easy.

"They shipped us back, Sara. I'm here to stay."

"Well, nice to see you after your forgot about me for three years." I say, getting up and walking away. I hear his footsteps behind me as I walk into the break room.

"Sara, your being irrational. Can we talk for a minute?" I ignore him. "Sara, stop it. Your being childish." I ignore him and sit it the table. Anger surges through my body. He's not dead. Why didn't he write? Just once, to let me know he was okay.

"You really shouldn't be in here. Members of LVPD only." I say, trying to ignore the slight tremor in my voice. I pray he doesn't hear it. Nick walks into the break room and does a double take when he sees Greg.

"Sara? Do you see him too?"

"Sadly, yes. Nick, Greg has decided to grace us with his presence. Did you forget all about Nick too?" I glare at him, and he turns away, giving Nick a hug.

"You back for good, G?" He says, his grin the size of Texas.

"Yeah. I am." He looks at me, and I look away.

"Well…Guess I should go…" Nick says, sensing the tension.

"Oh no, your staying Nicky. I need a witness for this." I stand up, face to face with Greg. "So, Greg, here's what you do. You tell me you love me the day before your shipped off to the military, sleep with me, get me pregnant, and don't write. We sit here, assuming your dead, and then bam! You show up at the lab and except me to fall into your arms? No way, Greg." I say, glaring at him. Instead of looking away, he keeps his eyes on me.

"Pregnant?" He says, no shock on his face. Something he learned in the military, I suppose. I turn towards Nick.

"Did I say that out loud?" I ask him. He nods his head. I open my mouth to say something, anything, but realize for once, I really don't know what to say. I turn back towards Greg, trying to avoid his eyes.

"So, apparently you have something to tell me?" He says, crossing his arms across his chest.

"Actually, I think you have something to tell me. Like why you left us here assuming you were dead. Nick and I are dying to know." I take a step back, so I stand next to Nick, who doesn't seem very happy to be the third wheel. I look into Greg's eyes and see hurt flash for a moment when Nick puts his arm around me. He quickly shakes it off.

"I'll tell you when you tell me." I pretend to consider the idea.

"How about no?"

"Glad to see you haven't changed."

"Glad to see you have." I continue to glare at him, until I hear childlike whispers. I sigh, temporarily forgetting Greg. "Taylor, Caleb, get your butts out here right now!" They creep out from behind the sofa.

"Hi, Nicky! Momma mad again. Help!" Taylor says, ducking back behind the couch again. I walk over and tickle her, picking her up. Caleb runs into my arms, and I grab the both of them.

"Nick, either entertain them to give them to Cath."

"She's on a case."

"Then Grissom."

"Cockroach convention." I sigh.

"Warrick?" He nods and I pass him the twins. He all but runs out of the room, happy to stop being monkey in the middle. I turn back to Greg.

"That answers my question. So their mine?" He asks, pointing at himself.

"Yeah." He nods like he understands perfectly. Old Greg would be jumping up and down, possibly fainting. This Greg's face shows no shock. With a sinking heart, I realize I no longer know Greg at all


	4. Breakdown

"So now that I answered your question, will you answer mine?" I stare at him, into those deep hazel eyes, and feel myself begin to break down. Tears well up in my eyes, and I look down at the floor as I whisper. "Why didn't you write Greg? We…I…I thought you were dead." The tears slip down my face, and I hastily wipe them away. "I was so scared, Greg." I can't help it, I break down into sobs. He steps forward and puts his arms around me, holding me as I sob into his military uniform.

"I'm sorry, Sar." He says, pulling me closer. I breathe him in. I doubt he's seen Blue Hawaiin a while, but he still smells exactly the same, like he bathed in a tub of it. "I know I have a lot of explaining to do, and I'm sorry." I nod my head and he kisses my head.

"I missed you." I murmur into his uniform, voice hoarse from crying. "You have no idea how much I missed you, Greg. But I'm still really angry with you."

"I didn't except anything less."

"I'm sorry, Greg. I was raised to snap into defensive mode, to stay on guard. I don't know how to stop doing it."

"It's exactly what they teach you to do in the army." I pull my head out of his uniform and look at the scars on his face. Using my finger, I trace the largest one from his hairline to his shirt, where it disappears. I wonder what he's been through. The thought of anyone hurting him makes my entire body tense up.

"What happened?" I say, tracing the smaller scars that litter his face.

"I just can't get away from explosions. I guess they love me. Then again, who doesn't?" He smiles a little, but I feel my hand throb, where the scar from the lab explosion is.

"Oh god, Greg." I kiss his cheek. "I can't believe your here, Greg. I missed you so much." He pushes a piece of hair behind my ear, staring into my eyes. Like he did three years ago, he inches towards me. When our lips meet, the world seems to burst at its seams. I wrap my arms around him, pulling him as close to me as I can.

"Sara, your kids are more ill mannered than you or Greg. Tell them to stay out of my lab, and stop making out with Sanders in the break room!" I pull apart from Greg, turning towards an extremely annoyed Hodges. "Wait, why is Sanders here? Great, now I have three people to make my job harder!


	5. Alcohol

It was only three weeks later that he first hit me.

Maybe I should have been more careful. Maybe I should've noticed the signs, coming form a household of abuse. But I didn't. Maybe I just didn't want to, I suppose. Maybe I was so blinded by the love I felt for him that I didn't notice. But after he first hit me, I did some research. Greg had sustained a major Traumatic Brain Injury, or TBI, when in the military. This could cause personality changes, and more often then not, violence. He hadn't been sent home, he had been discharged after nearly killing a comrade.

"Sara!" He screams from the kitchen, and I flinch. Sometimes, his voice reminded me of my fathers. Now was one of those times, and it made everything worse. I shuffle into the kitchen where he sits, holding a bottle of wine. Alcohol only aggravated his TBI.

"Hi, Greg. How was work?" I fake a smile. He could smell my fear, and always would.

"Oh, don't act like you don't know what you did." He snaps at me, and I steel myself for what's to come. Somedays, he would wake up and smile, and everything would be perfect. He'd cook dinner, he'd by me flowers, he'd play with the kids. Everything went day by day with a TBI. One minute it's all smiles, the next your on the floor, being used as a punching bag.

"What, honey?" I ask, trying desperately not to add to the bruises I'm already hiding from the team.

"You worthless slut! I saw Nick hug you today. Now, am I just imagining things?" Nick had always been able to sense when something was wrong with me. He had noticed the bruises, and pulled me into a bear hug. I would have never allowed it if I had known Greg wasn't at a scene.

"I…"

"Oh, shut up. I don't want to hear your worthless excuses, Sara. Come here." Tentatively, I take a step towards him. He puts the bottle down and smacks me across the face. I close my eyes.

"Greg, the kids…"

"Oh, shut up. You know nothing about kids, do you?" He punches my stomach so hard I hit the floor. He kicks me, until I feel I'll explode from the pain. Taylor wanders into the room.

"Mommy? Mommy!" She yells, running over to me.

"Taylor, no, go. Go! Get your brother and locket he door." I whisper, and she nods. Greg sneers.

"Oh, how cute. No, stay here little Taylor."

"Greg, no!" I jump up from the floor, ignoring the pain. I step in front of my shaking little girl. "Greg, I will not allow you to touch her. Never." I put my hand behind my back, making a go away gesture. Taylor runs as fast as she can.

"Oh, how touching. But you should learn to do what I say, bitch." He takes a step closer to me, and I smell the cheap wine on his breath. "Now, why don't you," He grabs my wrists, and I feel and hear the bones breaking. I feel the tears slip down my face as he grabs them tighter. "Go make dinner?" He reales my wrists. I never thought pain like this was possible. Apparently, I was wrong. How could this be the same man who came home only two months ago?

**X-X-X**

**Yes, I know. Feel free to hate me for putting Sara through this, but I couldn't help it. Greg will be written as a dark character, which is a big change for me. What do you think**


	6. Handprints

"Sara?" I jump out a foot in the air from my spot on the metal bench in the locker room.

"Oh, hey Nick." Lately, anyone and everyone has been sounding like Greg, and it's given my a lot of fear.

"Sara, are you okay?" No.

"Yes. I'm fine. Why?"

"Look in a mirror. I'm sure you'll find out." I get up and pull one out of my locker while Nick watches me. I almost gasp at the person who stares back at me. Bruises cover her face, a large cut on her forehead. With a sinking heart, I realize I can't deny it. That person is me. "Sara?"

"I tripped." It's a lie and we both know it.

"When?"

"Yesterday." Which is true, in a way. Yesterday was the day Greg gave me the cut. I can't remember when I got the first bruise. They should have disappeared by now, but he punches them daily, making it impossible for them to leave.

"Then why didn't I notice?"

"Makeup." That part's true, at least. I spend forever painstakingly applying makeup onto the bruises that litter my body. But they wash away in the shower, and Nick didn't give me time to apply it after stepping out of one.

"Well, this isn't from tripping, Sara." Gently, he picks up my arm. Bruises in the shape of handprints decorate them.

"I was just playing with Caleb. He's three, you know how he can be."

"A three year old isn't strong enough to inflict this kind of damage, and Caleb can't hurt a fly. He did this to you, didn't he?"

"Well…" I bite my lip, looking around the room as if an excuse will magically appear. It doesn't.

"Don't you dare lie to me, Sara Sidle." I meet his dark brown eyes, and regret it the moment I do. In mere seconds, I'm reduced to a sobbing idiot. Nick gathers me in his arms, stoking my hair like Greg did when he returned home three months ago.

I finally manage to collect myself and remove myself from his arms.

"I'm fine."

"Really? Then why did you just start sobbing?" I take a deep breath.

"I think I might be pregnant."

**X-X-X**

**So? What do you think? Dramatic enough for you? Dun-dun-dun. Do you think she's pregnant? And if she is, what should she do? Will Nick figure it out? If a tree falls in a forest and nobody is around to hear it, does it make a sound? I say yes, my brother says no. Back to the topic. Review please! And tune in next week to "Overseas" to find more drama**


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